Flood Damage Recovery Underway

Multi-Agency Response to Flood Damage

The Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) resumed activation as of 5 a.m. this morning, in support of flood damage response. The main recovery priorities for the EOC operations through the day are the assessment of flood damage in main thoroughfares and village roads, asset/heavy equipment utilization and management, sewage implications from floodwaters, and the volunteer organizations’ active in disaster initiative to assist those that have been displaced from the floods.

The Department of Public Works (DPW), working with the Mayors Council of Guam (MCoG) continues assessments in the following affected areas:

o   Ylig Bridge, Yona
o   Rt. 4, Pago Bay area
o   Naki Street, Chalan Pago
o   Mai Mai Rd., Chalan Pago
o   Daso Rd. (Ponding Basin), Sinajana
o   Fatima Rd., Dededo
o   Fonte River Location (White Lady Bridge)
o   Rt. 7 (Sylvan Learning Center area), Hagatna Guam
o   Areas across southern villages, Merizo, Inarajan, Umatac, Agat

Although the flooding has subsided and the roadways are passable, the following agencies are working closely to have the debris around each site removed, to avoid flooding in the future:
Ø  GHS/OCD
Ø  DPW
Ø  MCoG
Ø  Guam Waterworks Authority
Ø  Guam Environmental Protection Agency
Ø  Department of Agriculture
Ø  The Guam National Guard

The Way Forward

The recovery initiative includes:

DPW and MCoG, working with other stakeholders are conducting windshield assessments throughout the morning for the focus areas listed above
Assessments are made to determine the volume of debris removal expected
Emergency procurement of debris removal rental equipment and equipment needed to fill opened potholes is underway
Contingency plans are in place to reduce the debris safely

All agencies involved are working throughout the day, in an effort to avoid or lessen the amount of flood damage in future rainy periods.

“We are fortunate the rainy weather has subsided, allowing us to move on to recovery efforts,” the Guam Homeland Security Advisor, George Charfauros, stated to all stakeholders in a meeting with the EOC. “The weather has cleared now but we can expect the rains to continue within the next couple of weeks so we may face these issues again. One of the priorities throughout today is to tackle problems now, to avoid having to address these issues in the future. I thank all our Government of Guam, federal and military partners for their efforts here. Let us help get the community back to normal,” Charfauros concluded.

Individuals Displaced due to the Flood

Those individuals who have been displaced or need assistance due to flood damage are advised to contact their respective Mayor’s offices. The complete directory can be found here, http://www.mcog.guam.gov/directory. The MCoG are working with the American Red Cross to conduct assessments on those homes that have been severely affected.

For more information, contact GHS/OCD Public Information Officer, Jenna G. Blas at (671) 489-2540 or via email at jenna.g.blas@ghs.guam.gov.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

X
Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.